With most of the US in the midst of a heat wave, brewing iced tea with cold water is a great way to get a lot of flavor into a cool summer drink without turning on the stove in your kitchen or steaming up your apartment with boiling water.

For many people, making sun tea is a regular summer ritual. For those not in the know, sun tea is simply tea made with cold water instead of hot water that's subsequently chilled like other iced teas and allowed to steep and warm up in a sunny place. Many people will tell you (myself included) that slow, gentle, cold-infused iced and sun tea have stronger flavor than hot brewed tea that's then chilled, depending on the type of tea used.

To make cold-infused tea, simply toss a few tea bags (roughly one bag per 4 cups of water) into a pitcher and pour in the cold water. Cover it, and put it in the fridge overnight, or at least 8-12 hours. If you prefer loose tea, use roughly 2 tablespoons per quart of water. To make sun tea, follow the same instructions; just let the tea steep in the sun on a window ledge or on the porch for a few hours before putting in the fridge.

For extra flavor, try infusing some herbs or fruit with the tea as well, like plums, peaches, rosemary, or lemon basil. They'll all impart new flavors to the slow-brewed tea that are refreshing on a hot day. The following day you'll open the fridge to already chilled iced tea and you won't have had to heat up your kitchen to make it.

Are you a fan of iced tea? What are some of your favorite hot weather drinks? Share your beat-the-heat tips in the comments. Photo by Jessie Terwilliger.